Incident Details
Cause of Death:Constable Oliver Wilhoite was shot and killed as he attempted to serve a writ of restitution on a subject who had refused to vacate his father's property.
He and a deputized citizen proceeded to the residence, about two miles south of Clayton, to serve the writ. Upon their arrival, they were met with no resistance, took the subject's shotgun and removed his belongings outside.
As the deputized citizen retrieved materials to secure the front door of the residence, he heard three shots. The subject had pulled a revolver and fatally shot Constable Wilhoite.
As the deputized citizen went for assistance, he saw the subject running across a large field, assuming he was attempting to escape. The subject instead went about a quarter of a mile to his 32-year-old cousin's house. There he confronted her, as she had objected to him wanting to marry her sister, and fatally shot her in front of her 5-year-old daughter.
The 37-year-old man returned to his father's property until being taken into custody. He was subsequently convicted of murder, sentenced to life in prison and later discharged.
Constable Wilhoite, from Danville, was the appointed Center Township constable. He was survived by his wife, daughter, four grandchildren and three sisters.